Harpia harpyja

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

View Printer Friendly

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	FALCONIFORMES	ACCIPITRIDAE

Scientific Name:

Harpia harpyja

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Name/s:

English	–	American Harpy Eagle, Harpy Eagle
Spanish	–	Aguila Arpía, Aguila Harpía, Arpía, Arpía Mayor, Harpía

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Symes, A., Butchart, S.

Contributor/s:

Lloyd, H., Miller, B.

Justification:
This species is classified as Near Threatened because it is suspected to be declining moderately rapidly owing to hunting and habitat loss.

History:

2004

–

Near Threatened

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Harpia harpyja is sparsely distributed and generally rare throughout its extensive range in south Mexico, Guatemala, Belize (recently confirmed⁹), Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama (including four birds introduced in 1998¹), Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana (perhaps 200-400 pairs¹¹), Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and north-east Argentina (Misiones, but formerly Formosa, Salta and Jujuy^4,5)¹³. It is thought to be locally or regionally extinct in large parts of its former range, notably most of central and north Central America and possibly Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil^2,3, but recent records suggest that the population in the southern Atlantic forests may be migratory⁶.
Countries:	Native: Argentina; Belize; Bolivia; Brazil; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; French Guiana; Guatemala; Guyana; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Suriname; Venezuela
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Partners in Flight estimated the population to number <50,000 individuals (A. Panjabi in litt. 2008), which is placed in the band 20,000-49,999 individuals here.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It occurs in uninterrupted expanses of lowland tropical forest (typically below 900 m but locally to 2,000 m), but will nest where high-grade forestry has been practised, and use forest patches within a pasture/forest mosaic for hunting^2,10. Nests have been reported only 3 km apart in Panama and Guyana².
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Although still reasonably common in the Amazonian forests of Brazil and Peru⁷, it will only survive in the long term if the escalating rate of forest destruction in the region is brought under control and a network of inviolate reserves established^2,8. Low overall population densities and slow reproductive rates make shooting the most significant threat over its entire range^2,3. It could perhaps survive in disturbed forests or even forest mosaics if its large size and boldness in the face of humans did not make it an irresistible target for hunters^2,3. It presumably also suffers from competition with humans for prey⁶.

Major Threat(s):

Although still reasonably common in the Amazonian forests of Brazil and Peru⁷, it will only survive in the long term if the escalating rate of forest destruction in the region is brought under control and a network of inviolate reserves established^2,8. Low overall population densities and slow reproductive rates make shooting the most significant threat over its entire range^2,3. It could perhaps survive in disturbed forests or even forest mosaics if its large size and boldness in the face of humans did not make it an irresistible target for hunters^2,3. It presumably also suffers from competition with humans for prey⁶.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway CITES Appendix I and II. Reintroductions have taken place in Belize and Panama^12,14. Conservation Actions Proposed Work with local communities to reduce hunting. Stengthen network of protected areas to include core remaining areas of habitat. Clarify its precise ecological requirements and its ability to persist in fragmented and altered habitats.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix I and II. Reintroductions have taken place in Belize and Panama^12,14.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Work with local communities to reduce hunting. Stengthen network of protected areas to include core remaining areas of habitat. Clarify its precise ecological requirements and its ability to persist in fragmented and altered habitats.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2008. Harpia harpyja. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2012.
Disclaimer:	To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
Feedback:	If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided